New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-10-23
THE NATIONAL PARK.
A LETTER FROM ELLIOTT F. SHEPARD.
NATURES PRoDIGAIIrY CONTGAsTED WITH THE
GOVERNMENTS rARSIMONY--wIAT 'UGhT TO

SIR Two thirds OF our proposed circuit from New for
amounts 10 1000 miles, and finds us in this Ma
tonal ak, IL, which that spIighly old gentleman
Cncc sam, Is supposed to take a, much interest, ant
to be- wiling Ia spend much money, at least, a.
Newport summer resident takes in his lawn. But
alas. this is not the The Newport lawn receives
the benefit Of hundred dollars per per acre. and
Uncle Samncls private park Of So 90. And, a. might
be expected there lawn In the 1878 square nlicS
OF his pleasure ground, is there decent country
road. nor respcc able accommodation for sOJourherS
informal ion about It's wonderful gcy-
sers and hot springs, Its beautiful lakes eor
gcous canyons, and splendid mountain peaks reason
ably or safely accessible. The country cannot nc
sufficiently grateful to Professor +. V Hayden for get
ting Congress- to set apart this region as pubc park
pleasure ground for the benefit and enjoyment OF
tho people," I'm 1872, nor sufficiently ungracini 10
Congress for fifteen years OF neglect Of this prince
and jewel Of public parks. strip Of about two miles
wido aong the norhcry side Of this reservation anu
OF less width for twothirds OF It's westerly SIDE Is III
Montana, tho other third being in Idaho ana all inc
OF the total length of sixty five miles from hortn
to south, and Of fifty five miles from east TO "es''
[, in wyoming Yet the act Of Congress Ignores tho
fact that any OF II is In Idaho: and the non
action OF Congress Is responsible for the bcggy co-
ton hero OF everything except nature. Nature IS
prodiga and magnificent 10 unapprccaic pa'h
master.
CONDITION OF THE PARK.
Tho official guide book tells you that analysis or
the has yet been male, and no opinion OF
their curative properties be expressed Here are
hundreds mineral springs. Of them hot, some OF
them cold and capable of making the greatest santa
nun in the world which have not yet proved OF any
"bcncft" to the people. The altitude o. the Park Is 80
great, ranging rom $500 feet here 10 $500 feet al
Yellowstone Lake, and about 1I,OoO feet on many
mountains, that those who like tho United states cav
ay. live and exercise here for three months, are
"bcnchted' 10y an expansion Of one inch around tho
chest, thus getting rI Of consumption. and pulmonary
a>thmac and hay fever tendencies but the shanty
hotels every way starving, unclcanly and I'M
healthy. and the coupon railroad ticket allowance u
three days in the Park inadequate for either seeing
enjoyment Of tho people, thai most corners eNpcr
ence benefit in health and glad Ia escape 10
hotels not run by lcsscs 81 tho Nation A, this hotc
erected by Cnco Rufus Iach'- speculative BRAIN
It is exception To the above general condcmna'ion
and the Yellowstone Park Association it 80 a. 10
give visitors favorable first and last Impression 81
tho Park. all the stages from and 10 Cnnabar The rail-
road station miles distant arriving here and dc
parting hence Tho association were bound long ago
to put up five good hotels each at rs many Of the
principal points. To-day part OF that obligation
is fulfilled. This hotel wa, purchased by the a-so-
citation at a foreclosure, but l. the site where
they are bound to erect hotel. At the Norris Goyser
Basin they put up a neat hotel and carce--y burned
II down, that f. no fuillmcnt Of their cont act
At tho Grand Canyon they have some Of the lumber
for building, but two miles away from the site they
leased And ia tho meantime and for years. travellers
are thrust sheds or the othc four locations
Tho secretary OF tho Interior has unlimited control
Of these thing and has even legislative power within
tho Park, and Tho condition OF things has been fire.
quently reported him. but nothing moves the ruler
Tho travel 10 about $500 ps-ons year, in
Guiding campers With liitlo Encouragement 10y that
fno gentleman Uncle sam IT could be nado 10 amount
$1,000, and thus tho farl be made to contribute To
the benefit aud enjoyment OF the people While
love. re- Dcct and admire Uncle much. must
say 1t j, "A di~ grace him that tho travel docs not
$1,000 year, and another that there not
twenty good hotel, In Park. and that be ought 10
be- ashamed to own such wrctchcd road, a here AID
that his parsimony In not spending here even hhh
a. much a. NewYorlI spcnd- on her microscopic Cen
trI Park is n ,rallly.
WHAT CONGRESS- OUGHT TO DO.
What Is wanted is an appropriation by Congress Of
million dollars to be- expended. two hundred thou
sand dollars for each OF five years. In building ro""'
bridges, suspension bridges, galleries ana inchh''
railway, at tho vaiIou. falls and In analyzlng The
many springs and formations OF ~nicr. observing ana
recording summer and winter the duration, return
Lcipi,f direction, temperature, volume OF Tie crnp-
ton. Of the many ey ,cr- and their connection with
each other, II ANY AID In exploring the caves MIN
cral mountain, and forc-t, furnishing Informal on
10 visitors boring tho crust OF the Garth TO ascertain
It's thlcnnc-, here and whether tie hot spr.ns- are
madc SO 10y the action Of fire chemicals, Ia utA-
Ing tho iucNhau.tLlo deposits. mountains and mines
OF sulphur for making the National Lnup"N"'i' !"
pc,-uadnr tho Euiialo again to breed here. and the
cunning beaver t. return to his dam ~ dd~'NWB
tho fauna and nora. In contributing generally TO In
crease tho knowledge 81 mankind about the structure
OF tho earth the cause, history ana tendency OF The
gcyscr- and collecting and distributing tho ini"iha-
ton which nature Is hero pouring ont on many sud
jcos through open portals, but which our tongI'a-
',,., ,.,.,.,. ,,,.. ,Ir,, ia ", ia va.tr Pro-
fc-sOr Hague +, hcrr now with feeble bahd, d"lHg
what lto they in brici -ca'on, but 40 one WOULD
bo moro pleased to see tie whole subject properly
handled than tho men Of science. II this park be
longcd To Germany 1t would be made To attract moro
visitor, than Wo.badcn, liOmburg, Badcn-Hadch ana
En-. combined. and to contribute moro 10 hidhh""
stock Of knowledge than the Inivcr,iuc, oi h'Ihh'
Gorttingcn and Heidelberg united And Why should
United states 30 behind imperial Germany
IN dischargine a trust committed by Providence b'
tho United state, wake up aud show that rcInb'd'-
Ism j. superior 10 imperialism In lHs'Iu'u"s "" ~
frc-hine tho people.
For ibreo week, this new Wonderland ha- taxed
our power. oi investigation aud enjoyment, and We
feel a. though only Just beginning 10 l'"'n
a littlo something about IT. II Is like scroll oi
revelation, Of which though you continually nni"h
ono part tho other rolls up and you see bat '' "i
II al a limo. A. you stand at the Upper Ieys'r
Basin the scene must bo very Ike that behcid ny
Abraham from Hebron after tho destruction OF Seldom
and GomoiI ALL and AdOna, and Lcboim when ho looked
and behrld, and To- tho smoke of the country went
up a. tho smoke Of furnace Here 1t goes up from
many furnaces.
GEYSERS.
The commonly received and natural opinion Il that
the heat for thee gcyscrs and boiling Sprihg> Is 1ur
nshed by caIths Internal fires and TINS be The case
IL would only require stOppagc Of some OF The suce
wavs or a diversion Of tho currents OF water away
fran the fires to Kermit and them 10 burst forth
with lrepresriblo energy. In this view 1t would seem
that Nature ha- constantly held In near reserve the
fires with which to iulfl ST. Peters prophecy that
"the earth shall be burned up" and this smoking
-. o.. ,,..,,,h r., .tou ,he uuouths OF lnjIels For